Italy’s romantic Casa Malaparte has been inspiring design aficionados for decades. Now Italian eyewear company Persol pays homage to the striking minimalist villa with their Capri Edition (the structure is perched atop a craggy bluff on the island). The sleek shades feature subtle nods to the Mediterranean dwelling, including the firm’s signature silver-arrow hinges redesigned to echo the house’s silhouette and, on the temples, etching referencing its iconic exterior stairs. $310; persol.com

Photo courtesy of Persol

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Curvaceous design cues from the 17th century distinguish Prada’s playful Minimal Baroque sunglasses. The fashion house debuted the attention-grabbing oversize shades in its spring/summer 2011 collection, and they continue to sell out as soon as stock is replenished in the stores. $290; prada.com

Photo courtesy of Prada

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London-based Cutler and Gross makes bold, label-free sunglasses. Design director Marie Wilkinson says the unisex 0934 model is inspired by a pair of specs Le Corbusier fashioned for himself—the thickness of the frames is the exact depth that was needed to conceal the edges of the French pioneer’s prescription lenses. $500; cutlerandgross.com

Photo courtesy of Cutler and Gross

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Drift Eyewear founder Chris Mantz used the idea of a curtain wall—a lightweight, nonstructural building façade—to craft his line’s eco-friendly frames. The front is made of acetate, and the arms combine ethically-sourced wood (shown in wenge and walnut) with a steel core. Mantz explains, “This structure provides strength and balance, allowing the exterior layers to showcase the beauty of the wood.” $400; drifteyewear.com

Photo: Ryan Clark

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Israeli architect and designer Ron Arad’s work at pq Eyewear—the letters are meant to resemble glasses—has resulted in two entire lines based on buildings and builders. The round Corbs is a tribute to Le Corbusier, and the A-Frames, shown, draw upon that most basic and versatile structure. $945 for Liverpool model shown; pq-eyewear.com